The North American Indian, Vol. 1Curtis, Edward S.
History
The North American Indian, Vol. 1
Curtis, Edward S.
Indians of North America
The Sun became angrier than ever and determined to have done with the
trouble at once by killing the boys. From the eastern wall of the room
projected numerous sharp spikes of white shell. There were turquoise
spikes in the southern, abalone in the western, and jet in the northern
walls. The boys were each hurled against the first of these, but dropped
to the floor unharmed; then against the second, the third, and the fourth,
with a like result. On the floor near the walls sat four large mortars
with heavy pestles in them. The boys were placed in each of these
successively and pounded, as their father thought, into fragments, but out
of this also they came unharmed.
The Sun then waved them to a seat and brought forth four large pipes, two
of abalone and two of lignite. He handed two of each to the boys, saying,
"I wish you to have a good smoke."
"Beware!" whispered the Wind. "His tobacco is poisoned!"
The boys deftly sought the little balls they had received from the
Wósakĭdĭ, slipped them into their mouths, and began puffing. When the
first pipefuls were finished they laid the pipes on the floor and picked
up the other two, showing no sign of distress.
Seeing that the poison tobacco was having no effect on the youthful
strangers, the Sun sent for Haschógan and Hasché̆zhĭnĭ, the House God and
the Fire God, to come and build a sweat-house and heat large stones as hot
as they could be made, so that they might burst into fragments and fill
the sweat-lodge with scalding steam when water was poured upon them. By
the time the boys had finished their second pipes, which proved as
harmless as the others, the little house and heated stones were ready.
Haschógan made the lodge of stone and covered it with earth, erecting
double walls on the northern side with a space between, into which he
provided an entrance from the inside, concealed with a flat stone slab.
[Illustration: _Ga__n__ askĭdĭ_ - Navaho]
_Ga__n__askĭdĭ_ - Navaho
_From Copyright Photograph 1904 by E.S. Curtis_
This is the personation of the Navaho God of Harvest. The name signifies
"Hunchback." He is represented always in a stooping posture, carrying a
staff to aid him in supporting a burden of corn, bean, pumpkin, and other
seeds which he carries upon his back. The personation is conventional,
rather than literal, in intent.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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